HS TENNIS: MCA's Sivalls ready to defend TAPPS title

Midland Classical Academy junior tennis player Max Sivalls prepares to hit a ball at a tournament earlier this season in Big Lake. Courtesy photo

Midland Classical Academy junior tennis player Max Sivalls prepares to hit a ball at a tournament earlier this season in Big Lake. Courtesy photo

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Midland Classical Academy junior tennis player Max Sivalls prepares to hit a ball at a tournament earlier this season in Big Lake. Courtesy photo

Midland Classical Academy junior tennis player Max Sivalls prepares to hit a ball at a tournament earlier this season in Big Lake. Courtesy photo

HS TENNIS: MCA's Sivalls ready to defend TAPPS title

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Max Sivalls has faced challenges as a tennis player during the last few years that many tennis players don’t face in a lifetime.

But even broken arms and a broken pelvis haven’t stopped the Midland Classical Academy junior from continuing to play tennis and play it well. Sivalls, a junior, will go for his second straight TAPPS 3A boys singles crown this week at the Waco Regional Tennis Center at the TAPPS State Tennis Championships.

“I just keep getting better and better, and I’m having fun with it,” Sivalls said last week at the Midland College Tennis Center. “I loving going out there and playing.”

In the span of about 18 months bridging his freshman and sophomore years, Sivalls broke his left arm twice and in December of 2012 he cracked his pelvis while kicking field goals for fun with his friends.

And those injuries came on the heels of what Sivalls said where he felt like he was getting burned out on the game. He said his injuries had something to do with it, but he said they also kept him from working like he wanted to.

“It’s just staying healthy and continuing to want to do it, and not get bored from it,” Sivalls said. “I haven’t gotten bored with it yet. I kind of got burned out when I was 12 through 14. I got hurt so much I just didn’t want to keep working hard to get healty again. I finally got healthy and its not a problem anymore.”

Since Sivalls has been healthy, he’s been rolling against opponents. Sivalls was hardly challenged on his way to the boys singles title at the TAPPS 1-3A district tournament at the Bush Tennis Center.

Sivalls lost a total of five games, and it was a similar performance a year ago at the state tournament. He lost three games that day to earn the first state tennis title in Midland Classical’s history.

“Just in this last year, he’s been incredible to watch,” said Kelley Sivalls, Max’s mother and a coach at MCA. “From the time he started playing tennis it was apparent he was going to be a good tennis player. He was at the top when he was a little kid, but we watched him struggled in the 14s with different things. This past year, he works out morning and night plus his practices, and he takes lessons. He has improved, and it’s exciting to see.”

Max said what’s helped him is working with Racquet Club head professional Scott Stewart and Green Tree tennis pro Sunday Jegede on his game, and now it’s a matter of having fun.

“I think I’m just more confident,” Sivalls said. “I don’t have the fear of losing or the fear of winning. I just go out there to have fun and try my best.”